Curcumin, a cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent, is a biologically active iron chelator.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical animal model (non-human study)
PubMed 18815282 · doi:10.1182/blood-2008-05-155952
What was done
Mice were maintained for 26 weeks on diets containing graded concentrations of both iron and curcumin to evaluate whether curcumin's iron-chelating properties induce iron deficiency in vivo.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numbers. In mice with subclinical iron deficiency from low dietary iron, adding curcumin caused a dose-dependent reduction in hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, and spleen and liver iron content. It also led to microcytic anisocytotic red blood cells and repressed hepcidin synthesis.
Why it matters
This indicates curcumin can functionally deplete iron in vivo, raising potential safety concerns for its use in patients with borderline iron deficiency or anemia of chronic disease.
Limits
This is an animal study in mice; human clinical data were not collected. The abstract omits sample sizes, exact dietary dosages, and quantitative statistical values.
Cited by
- supports Curcumin can bind/sequester iron and impair iron absorption in individuals with low iron levels.